Pickup Bar Cheat Sheet

[GeorgeMaster]

Hello. Is there a pickup bar cheat sheet somewhere that has every code for all time signatures? I’m trying to know what to type when creating pick up bars for example, a 6/8 pickup bar with only two eighth notes playing, or a 4/4 pickup bar with three quarter notes, or a 12/8 or whatever. Using Dorico Pro 5 on a Mac OS

[Christian_R]

You don’t need such cheat sheet (EDIT: and @janus explains why, here below ).

And here a method without needing to “count”:
just write your pick-up in the first complete bar and then with Insert Mode active (Global Adjustment of Current Bar mode), delete the rests. Dorico will calculate the pick-up bar for you :

Also you can reference to this post, with some further explanations:

Problem inserting pick-up bar

Hi @Manny_Mendelson I made three little videos to explain different cases for editing the pick-ups. I hope can be of some help. Case A: you have written the full bar with rests -activate insert mode (global adjustment of current bar) -select the rests -press delete [pickup a] Case B: you forgot to write the pick-up and want to add it : -activate insert mode (global adjustment of current bar) -select first note -press enter (to activate the caret) -choose the note value (with the mouse …

[Janus]

It is simple. The value after the comma is the amount of the pickup

@GeorgeMaster

a 6/8 pickup bar with only two eighth notes playing

shift-M 6/8,2 (because you want two eighths)

@GeorgeMaster

4/4 pickup bar with three quarter notes,

shift-M 4/4,3 (because you want three quarters)

Or shift-M 4/4,1.5 if you want just three eighths.

Or strangely shift-M 4/4,6 (if you want six quarters in the pickup)

[JAMES_GILBERT]

@Janus

It is simple

If only I could remember what the decimal value is for a 128th note pickup in 4/4 time is without using a calculator then it would be really simple. (Mozart). Edit: I only meant this as a bit of humor (although I did run into it long time ago). I didn’t expect any serious responses. However, I like the suggestion in the 2nd post.

[Janus]

@JAMES_GILBERT

If only I could remember what the decimal value is for a 128th note pickup in 4/4 time is without using a calculator then it would be really simple.

That’s just plain silly.

Do you have a sensible proposal for an alternative?

[StevenJones01]

@JAMES_GILBERT

If only I could remember what the decimal value is for a 128th note pickup in 4/4 time is without using a calculator then it would be really simple.

This is a workaround, but I tried it and it works. As with all workarounds, there are extra steps when compared with an existing built-in method and so takes just a little longer than a handful of keypresses.

1. In a new empty project, enter a time signature of 1/128 and input a 128th note.
2. After the barline, enter a time signature of 4/4. Inputting notes is not necessary.
3. Select the 1/128 time signature and change it to 4/4. The bar number will change from 1 to 0
4. Select the time signature after the barline and hide it (Properties > Time Signatures > Hide time signature).
5. Delete or re-pitch the 128th note, depending on what you want.

[Christian_R]

@JAMES_GILBERT

If only I could remember what the decimal value is for a 128th note pickup in 4/4 time is without using a calculator then it would be really simple. (Mozart).

The method I suggested in the second post of this thread works also for a 128th. The resulting popover shows the value that Dorico calculates automatically :

Video:

[meixner]

May I propose something without calculating?

another example:

In other words:

• set your meter
• write your pickup notes
• shift-B and type a barline of your liking
• finished

I personally think that is what happens behind the curtains anyway, when we type something like “4/4, 0.5” …

Here is a somewhat more convoluted example - I did do no calculation at all.